Valerii Zaluzhnyi's Assessment of War

The former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and currently Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, during the NV event "Ukraine Changes the World. Dialogues about Opportunities” discussed the dynamic of the war, the future of conflict and other political affairs.

• Currently, we are lagging behind in the development of technologies related to the use of fiber-optic guided drone systems, which are giving the Russians a clear advantage. Additionally, we are unable to achieve the same scale in deploying precision-guided aerial bombs, nor can we effectively defend against them. This also provides Russia with a significant edge. Lastly, we cannot afford to mobilize the same level of human resources as Russia, nor bear the cost of the minor victories they are achieving, which are largely due to the combination of these three factors.

• I was fully convinced that if we inflicted as many losses as possible on the Russian army and Russia, these losses would eventually compel [Moscow] to abandon further actions. But that was a clear mistake on my part. As of today, it’s evident that, for Russia, human resources are perhaps one of the cheapest assets. This is something we must consider. While inflicting maximum losses on the enemy remains relevant, it is certainly not the key to securing final victory.

• I firmly believe that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been, are, and will remain the most reliable guarantor of Ukraine's security. They will always be the foundation. Whether or not they are part of NATO, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will remain at the core.